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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22425487">A Splendid Gift (Pt. 2)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon'>RaeDMagdon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Splendid Gift [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha!Shepard, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Consensual, F/F, Knotting, Mating Bites, Omega!Liara, Omegaverse, Power Dynamics, asari rule the galaxy, dark au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:01:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22425487</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In public, Liara is a well-respected Prothean archaeologist with a subordinate human bodyguard and bedmate. In private, however, their dynamic is quite different.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Splendid Gift [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613848</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>469</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Splendid Gift (Pt. 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a little peek into the future for Liara and Shep in the Splendid Gift Universe. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You aren’t allowed here, human.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard eyed the asari alphas guarding the dig site entrance, bristling with indignation. Though she was accustomed to the condescending attitude most asari directed toward the few remaining humans in the Milky Way, that didn’t mean she had to like it. “I’m here to escort Dr. T’Soni,” she said, flicking back the corner of her leather jacket to reveal the pistol strapped to her hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, the guards seemed startled. Shepard guessed they weren’t used to seeing armed aliens making demands. But when she made no move to draw her weapon, the asari seemed to relax once more. “You her bodyguard or something?” one of them asked, still eyeing Shepard with obvious suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or something,” Shepard replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both guards smirked, exchanging lascivious glances that Shepard had no trouble reading. Whatever they thought probably wasn’t far from the truth—a partial truth, anyway. She was Liara’s bodyguard and “something”, although most alien pleasure slaves weren’t given the same amount of leeway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still can’t let you in,” the first guard said, prodding the nose of her rifle in Shepard’s direction to reassert her authority. “This area’s off-limits except to authorized personnel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard thought about arguing, but decided against it when she noticed someone approaching from within the fenced-off excavation crater, heading toward the checkpoint. “No problem,” she said, folding her arms across her chest and striking a casual pose that said she was content to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me.” The two guards turned, obviously surprised by the sound of a soft, lyrical voice coming from behind them. It was a young, curvaceous asari omega, dressed in a white and blue lab coat—an asari Shepard knew intimately. “Doctor T’Soni,” Liara said, holding up her omnitool to display her credentials, “leaving for the day with my personal escort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Escort. Right.” One of the guards stepped aside, allowing Liara to pass through the gate and into the makeshift shuttle parking lot, which was mostly barren and covered in red dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara’s neutral expression turned ever so slightly mischievous as she glanced between the guards. “Yes, escort,” she said, breezing past them as if they were of no consequence. “Come, Shepard. Take me back to the station.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard stood politely to one side, allowing Liara take the lead. “Of course, Doctor T’Soni.” She followed Liara toward the parked shuttles, but not fast enough to miss what one guard muttered to her companion as they departed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a waste.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, right? Fine piece of ass like that, relying on a human bedslave...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard suppressed a smirk until she arrived at Liara’s shuttle, opening the rear door and allowing her to climb in first. She walked back around and took the driver’s seat, firing up the engines while Liara strapped in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, they were skimming along Mars’ surface, heading for the scientific outpost where Liara was stationed. Most of the humans who had once inhabited the colony (and Earth) were gone. Those who weren’t bound in service to the Asari empire had left for the Andromeda galaxy a few years prior, partially due to Shepard’s cleverness and courage. She’d sacrificed her own chance of escape to make sure the others got away, but all things considered, her situation hadn’t turned out too badly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shepard thought, checking the rear monitor to make sure Liara was secure in the back of the shuttle. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not bad at all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Shepard parked in another red, dusty lot and left the shuttle to open Liara’s door. As the omega exited, she gave Shepard a small smile, the only sign of gratitude she could safely offer in such a public space. Nevertheless, Shepard noted and appreciated the gesture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fell into step behind Liara as they headed for the dormitories, where the asari scientists assigned to Mars’ Prothean dig-sites lived outside of working hours. More armed alphas stood guard outside, but stepped back when Liara flashed her credentials. They didn’t give Shepard any trouble, either—probably because they were used to seeing the pair come and go, and had long since stopped thinking of their ‘relationship’ as more than a slightly scandalous oddity.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Heh. If they only knew how odd.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They entered the elevator together, allowing it to take them to the third floor. It was a long, silent ride, during which Shepard remained hyper-aware of how close Liara stood, close enough to share body heat in the small space. After an eternity, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened to reveal a wide, carpeted hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard took the lead this time, approaching the second door on the right and touching her own omnitool — an item most slaves were not allowed to have without restrictions — to its scanner. The door hissed open, and she and Liara entered their private refuge from the rest of the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the door closed again, Liara moaned, dragging an open palm down her face. Shepard chuckled, helping her out of her coat—not as a slave helping her Mistress, but as a lover trying to comfort their tired mate. “Rough day?” she murmured, kissing Liara’s temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Extremely.” Divested of her lab coat, Liara stretched her arms overhead, arching her spine and putting her breasts on even more prominent display.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard ran her tongue over her lower lip, not bothering to hide her stare. “Want me to make it better?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara gazed at her with soft, hopeful blue eyes. “Yes, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Go start a bath for me, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara hurried to do so, moving with renewed energy as she headed for the bathroom. Shepard took her time, removing her boots and jacket almost leisurely. When she eventually followed her mate down the hall, she could already hear the sound of running water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight that greeted her in the bathroom was quite pleasing indeed. Liara was naked, holding a washcloth and a bottle of shampoo. The bath was full, with a fluffy layer of bubbles, and steam rose from the water’s opaque surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard took off the rest of her clothes, handing them to Liara as she stripped. While her mate retreated to the bedroom to dump them down the laundry disposal chute, she eased herself into the water with a satisfied sigh. Bracing her arms on both sides of the tub, she let her head loll back, closing her eyes and smiling. This was going to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> nice night. She could already tell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara returned, closing the bathroom door to prevent any more steam from escaping. Without being asked, she knelt beside the tub, wetting the washcloth as Shepard sat up. “Start with my back,” Shepard said, and Liara obeyed, covering the cloth with a thin film of soap before swiping circles over her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have such a beautiful back,” Liara commented, in a somewhat dreamy voice. “Perfect definition. And the cute little spots. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Freckles.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say that every time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean it every time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Shepard put a stop to the back-scrubbing, which had evolved into more of a massage, and offered Liara her damp hair instead. Liara lathered it with shampoo, obviously enjoying the process. Shepard smiled as Liara played with the soapy strands, happy to indulge her mate’s whims. It was pretty cute, how much Liara liked her hair, no matter what state it happened to be in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once her hair was more than clean, Shepard dunked her head. Liara helped her rinse the suds away, paying special attention to her scalp. The light scrape of her nails sent a twinge between Shepard’s legs. She moaned, shifting as her cock stiffened, poking an inch or two above the surface of the water. Not an uncommon reaction to Liara’s touch by any means, but one that demanded her full and immediate attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara noticed, of course. “May I help you with that?” she asked, in the sweetest, most hopeful way possible, like someone asking for an extra helping of dessert.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard hadn’t had any intention of saying no. In fact, she’d been about to use her temporary authority to instruct Liara to take care of the problem. But hearing Liara plead for it first certainly didn’t hurt her ego. “Yes,” she said, spreading her legs to make room. “I could use a hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara took the comment literally, wrapping a gentle fist around Shepard’s shaft and starting a slow, luxurious pumping motion. She was exceptionally careful, using enough soap to make sure the water didn’t chafe, but not so much that it would get in uncomfortable places. Her gaze remained riveted on her own hand as it stroked Shepard’s cock, while Shepard took the opportunity to study Liara’s face. She truly was beautiful, with her rapidly darkening eyes and pouting purple lips—the most stunning picture of an aroused omega Shepard had ever seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Faster,” she commanded, shifting her hips to offer Liara some extra encouragement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara complied, tightening her grip and speeding up her strokes. Her expression still read wonder, while fullness gathered at the base of Shepard’s shaft as her knot formed. It throbbed with unreleased pressure, and a few dark spots flashed in her field of vision. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck. She’s gonna make me come too fast…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, once she came, she could always order Liara to take care of her again in bed. It would be a lot more comfortable than the tub, with extra room to enjoy herself. So, she gave in to the rapidly swelling need between her legs, throwing her head back and gasping as Liara gave her knot a particularly firm squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it,” she panted, spilling her release over Liara’s hand and into the water. “Good omega.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara beamed at the praise, but didn’t stop what she was doing. Obviously, she was determined to make sure Shepard emptied completely—and with such a skilled hand tending to her, Shepard had no choice but to keep coming until she had nothing left. Her shaft softened slightly, and she twitched in Liara’s grasp, feeling somewhat relieved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Shepard recovered, Liara cleaned the mess from her thighs with the cloth and drained the bath. She helped Shepard out of the tub and wrapped her in a towel, making sure to dry her thoroughly before running a comb through her hair and escorting her to their bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard lay down, careless of the few stray droplets that dampened the sheets, and watched the bathroom door as Liara retreated inside to take the galaxy’s quickest shower. Picturing her naked, head tilted up into the spray of water, sent another lance of desire through Shepard’s lower belly. She took herself in hand, stroking idly as she waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, Liara emerged amidst a cloud of steam, bringing the scent of the shower with her. She sauntered to the bed, still dripping, and climbed onto the mattress beside Shepard. “So,” she asked, caressing Shepard’s wet hair and scooting close enough for their stomachs to touch. “How else would you like me to serve you, Mistress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard grinned. “Is that what you want tonight? For me to take my turn as Mistress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara nodded eagerly. Sometimes, they acted as equals in private, a welcome reprieve from the charade they had to play in public. Sometimes, though… sometimes, Liara liked to pretend that their roles were reversed. She wasn’t a pureblood asari with an alien bedslave, but an omega submitting to her alpha. And Shepard had no objections to that fantasy whatsoever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then get on your hands and knees,” Shepard ordered, sitting up as well. “I want that beautiful ass of yours in the air for me, and that pretty azure on display.” She punctuated the order with a light slap to Liara’s rear, which made the asari laugh as she complied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight, Shepard had to admit, was stunning. Though Liara had a neatly tucked waistline, her thighs were lovely and round, and so was her backside. Framed in the middle of all that soft, yielding blue flesh were the glistening, purple-tinged lips of her azure, already pouting open. It was an irresistible invitation, a visual plea for an alpha’s touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But not just any alpha’s touch. Mine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard hadn’t been able to resist Liara the first time they’d mated either, although Liara had made it clear she didn’t expect assistance with her heat. Matriarch Benezia, Liara’s mother, had purchased Shepard for precisely that purpose—and, eventually, they had both succumbed to their overwhelming mutual attraction, although Shepard had no doubt Benezia would be horrified by how their relationship had progressed since then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That gave her a spark of inspiration, and she crooned almost lovingly as she caressed Liara’s rear, kneading both cheeks. “Your colleagues would be shocked to see you like this, Doctor T’Soni. On your hands and knees, waiting for an alien to fuck you senseless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A ripple passed through Liara’s body, one that Shepard saw clearly. She whimpered, and Shepard gave her ass another affectionate swat before sliding two fingers between her legs. An ocean of wetness greeted her, and she had no trouble slipping one, then two fingers inside, curling them to massage Liara’s walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This tight little azure of yours is supposed to be reserved for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>proper</span>
  </em>
  <span> alpha, isn’t it? Some stuck-up pureblood asari alpha back on Thessia. I’m just a temporary distraction. A living sex toy.” She leaned forward, dragging her tongue along the ridges of Liara’s neck before whispering in her ear. “But you know this is the best dick you’ll ever get, so you don’t wanna give me up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t the truth, of course. Not the full truth, anyway. But it was enough to make Liara yelp and bear down on her fingers, and Shepard grinned as more wetness leaked into her hand. She could already imagine how good Liara’s azure would feel wrapped around her, all warm and silky. The thought encouraged her to remove her fingers and replace them with her cock, although she didn’t push inside right away. Instead, she dragged the head between Liara’s soft purple lips, sliding deliberately over the swollen ridge of her clit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shepard!” Liara’s thighs tensed, and she spread them wider, tilting her pelvis to offer an even better angle. “Please…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, nothing.” Shepard rubbed the tip of her cock directly against Liara’s clit in a wet circle, sliding a little off-center as Liara’s hips started rocking. “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> omega tonight, not my Mistress. I get to do whatever I want with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, what she wanted almost always aligned with Liara’s desires. When she repositioned her cock at Liara’s entrance, there was no resistance, only a high, needy moan as Liara opened for her, coating her with another flood of wetness as she eased inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara was even hotter and tighter than Shepard had hoped. Somehow, her mate’s azure managed to feel better every single time. That, or she couldn’t always recall how blissful it felt. Maybe the sensation was simply too strong to store in her brain. She slid in to the hilt, bucking slightly as she bottomed out. Only then did she pause to take in the view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Liara had looked beautiful before, with her legs spread and her ass in the air, she looked positively gorgeous now, with the lips of her azure stretched wide to accommodate Shepard’s cock, leaking shiny trails of fluid around the base and onto her own lightly-scaled blue thighs. Though she knew Liara wanted her to be selfish, that didn’t stop Shepard from milking Liara’s clit between her fingers, stroking the curved ridge until it felt painfully stiff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her teasing had a pleasant side effect. Liara gasped and dropped the upper half of her body onto the mattress, muffling her cries with a pillow. She rolled her hips desperately, trying to start some kind of rhythm, but Shepard restrained herself, resisting the temptation to shove Liara onto her stomach and pound her into the mattress. It would be so much better for both of them if she managed to hold out for another minute or two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard moved slowly at first, pausing at the apex of each thrust to pinch Liara’s clit. The attention caused Liara’s walls to clench around her, which sent a sluggish jolt of pleasure racing along Shepard’s cock in response, but she did her best to maintain control. The smell of sex grew stronger, the scent of an omega in need, and Shepard bent further over Liara’s back, inhaling deeply. It was the only thing she wanted in her lungs for the rest of her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s my good girl,” Shepard murmured, smearing kisses along Liara’s neck. “You’re taking me so well. Such a sweet, obedient omega.” She gave her hips a firm snap, causing Liara to give a particularly loud cry. “But you’d better keep your face buried in the pillow, or all your neighbors will hear you beg your human pet to fuck you instead of ordering me to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I—I don’t care…” Liara slid a hand on top of Shepard’s, the free palm she was using to support her weight. Their fingers laced together, and Liara clutched her hand almost as tightly as her cock. “Let them hear, but—but </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> fuck me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard couldn’t resist her mate’s plea. She abandoned Liara’s clit and grasped her hip instead, using it to pull her back into each stroke. The extra force soon had Liara shouting her name, but Shepard didn’t bother quieting her, despite her playful warnings. Fortunately, the apartments were soundproof. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without the fear of being overheard, Shepard gave herself free rein, fucking into Liara fast and hard, until a fresh layer of sweat broke out on her back. She ignored the chill as it rolled down her spine, too focused on the warmth of Liara’s walls and the way they pulsed around her. The omega was already on the verge of coming, and Shepard knew that when she did, her own peak would take hold, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me,” she growled, pausing to nip at Liara’s shoulder, near the mating mark she’d placed there years ago, “who you belong to. Nice and loud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara obeyed immediately. “You! Goddess, Shepard, you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard laughed into the nape of Liara’s neck. “That wasn’t very clear. Your Goddess, or me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You,” Liara cried between heaving breaths. “You, Shepard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right.” Shepard shifted her weight, returning her fingers to Liara’s clit for a few final strokes. “You’re all mine. No one else’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara came with a choked sob, going rigid for a moment before melting utterly in the cage of Shepard’s arms. She sagged further into the mattress, trembling from head to toe. Her inner walls clenched, then rippled, milking Shepard’s cock with greedy pulses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warm, rhythmic squeezing sent a surge of heat to the base of Shepard’s shaft, where it built and built until the pressure became nearly unbearable. Though she didn’t really want to peel her skin away from Liara’s, Shepard straightened up to get a good look at where their bodies were joined. Her knot had formed again, and it shone with Liara’s wetness, clear evidence of her omega’s first release.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to knot you?” Shepard asked, pushing forward to test Liara’s tightness. She didn’t slip inside on the first try, which dredged an impatient growl from deep within her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara didn’t answer with words. She seemed to be beyond them. Instead, Shepard felt a tingle at the back of her head, a gentle presence asking for permission to enter. At first, Shepard had found the sensation of the meld somewhat alarming, but Liara never forced it on her. She had quickly learned that the frightening, mysterious asari ability other humans whispered about could greatly enhance her pleasure.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shepard... please… knot me… I need…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt as well as heard Liara’s plea, and the omega’s emotions tugged at her heartstrings. Liara’s desire to be filled built within her as well, and suddenly, Shepard craved it almost as fiercely. With another snap of her hips, she began sinking inside, pushing forward even as Liara screamed and squeezed tighter. At last, Liara opened, and Shepard grunted as her knot finally sank inside, stretching her omega’s walls as they twitched and fluttered, attempting to adjust to the intrusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tie and the meld brought with them a powerful feeling of </span>
  <em>
    <span>rightness. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was right, Shepard thought, to feel Liara’s azure rippling around her knot, clinging to it like a second skin—and to feel the echo of desperately-needed fullness within her own body. It was right to have Liara in her head, because the omega radiated such warmth and gentleness along with her ever-present need. It was right to feel the undercurrent of love that coursed between them, breathtaking and electric, but always safe and familiar as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Love you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shepard thought, although she couldn’t be sure whether it had originated within her mind or Liara’s. It didn’t matter. Either way, it was enough to push her over the precipice. She came at the end of her next thrust, breaking her rhythm as she filled Liara with everything she had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liara joined her in ecstasy, drawing from her pleasure and returning it tenfold. Shepard forgot about their game, their roles, everything except their shared release. With each jet of come that spilled from her cock, Liara pulsed around her, stretching as the tie kept everything locked safe inside. The sensation only made Shepard empty faster, until she took Liara’s shoulder between her teeth and collapsed on top of her, forcing both of them to lie flat on the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes. Good. Mine/yours.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>In her fuzzy, post-orgasmic haze, it took Shepard several minutes to untangle her mind from Liara’s. She was in no particular hurry. It felt nice, sharing Liara’s languid, satisfied thoughts and the occasional twitches that shot through her core. A smirk spread across Shepard’s face as she slid a hand beneath Liara’s belly, feeling its taut surface. She’d filled her omega well.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, you did.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard released her hold on Liara’s shoulder, nuzzling the mating mark there. It made her sad when Liara had to hide it, but at least she had the satisfaction of renewing it often. “I do my best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You continually exceed expectations.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exceed expectations? Is that some kind of grade? I thought you were done with academia, Doctor T’Soni.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One is never ‘done’ with academia,” Liara said aloud, with total seriousness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shepard couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. “Why are you such a nerd?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because,” Liara said, “how else am I going to send the latest breakthroughs in Prothean-inspired technology to those fighting to regain their freedom from the Empire? You are fortunate that I am a ‘nerd’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Shepard chuckled, settling comfortably on top of Liara’s soft frame. “Very fortunate.” And she was indeed. Though pretending to be Liara’s possession wore on her soul considerably, the cause they were fighting for, and moments like this, more than made up for the bad parts. She was alive, trying to do good, with someone she was lucky enough to love, who loved her in return. And someday soon, they would be free to show that love openly at last.</span>
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